The Township of North Huron council has passed its 2019 draft budget.
For a residential assessment at $202,750, a property in Wingham will see a 7.46 per cent tax bill increase compared to 2018.
A similar assessment in Blyth will see a 0.78 per cent increase, while East Wawanosh will see a 1.17 per cent increase.
Director of Finance Donna White said this is the first year she can remember having the budget passed before having the county and school board rates. This will drop both Blyth and East Wawanosh even closer to a 0% increase compared to 2018.
North Huron cleared the largest portion of its debt load by selling the Emergency Services Training Centre in Blyth, bringing the total debt load down to just over $800,000, which White says "is pretty good for a municipality of our size."
She notes the township still owes $100,000 for the paving of the parking lot at the Wescast Community Complex, and some annual fire payments stemming from a 15-year loan taken out in 2009.
North Huron will see an increase in spending of 7.97 per cent, which amounts to around $440,000, with an operating budget of just over $13,000,000.
Donna White said it was great for the municipality to get the budget passed so early this year as it allows them to get a head start on the upcoming construction season. North Huron did not pass a budget until May 22, 2018.